Microsoft Surface Duo 2 unveiled with new triple camera – here’s how to pre-order

Microsoft’s latest premium foldable is now available to pre-order, but does it look like a good purchase?

By George Storr

Published: Friday, 24 September 2021 at 12:00 am

Microsoft’s much-awaited foldable – the Surface Duo 2 – is now available for pre-order. It’s a feature-packed addition to the foldable phones market and gives Microsoft’s product roster an interesting boost.

Historically Microsoft has refused to call the Surface Duo a ‘phone’, and really the dual-screen device falls somewhere between a phone and a tablet. It’s multifunctional and packs an impressively sized screen when the device is unfolded, perfect for writing emails, watching videos, or word processing on the go.

Following the big reveal of the new device – at Microsoft’s event on the 22nd of September – it is now available to pre-order. We’ll be highlighting how and where you can get your hands on the new folding gadget and whether you should.

The most notable upgrade on the new foldable could be its Snapdragon 888 chip, but the Surface Duo 2 also comes with an impressive new triple-lens camera, “lightning-fast 5G”, and 8GB of RAM.

The ability to multitask across both screens is a real draw for potential Duo 2 buyers. For on-the-go workers, it makes it easy to reference a source while typing, editing video, or performing other tasks on the second screen.

This will make the Surface Duo 2 a natural competitor for Apple’s new iPad Mini 6, which – thanks to its small form factor – will also be hugely attractive to buyers who want a light go-anywhere work machine that balances portability with power.

To get a better idea of how the two stack up, take a look at our iPad Mini 6 page, which details all the specs of Apple’s new tablet.

For more on tablets and foldables, check out the pages below:

Microsoft Surface Duo 2 release date: When is the Surface Duo 2 released?

Pre-orders are available right now, but the Surface Duo 2 only gets a full release on the 21st of October, so there’s a little while to wait before you can get your hands on the device.

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Microsoft Surface Duo 2 price: How much does the new device cost?

The price of a new Surface Duo 2 will depend on which storage options you choose and whether you buy a handset outright or take on a payment plan with a phone network. The prices below are to buy a handset outright. However, not all of the storage options are currently available with every retailer or network – more on this later.

Pre-order Surface Duo 2 direct from Microsoft – from £1349

Microsoft Surface Duo 2 features: What’s new?

The whopping 8GB of RAM in the new Surface Duo 2 represents a solid improvement on the 6GB of the original device. This addition – alongside the new Snapdragon 888 chip – is bound to make a noticeable difference to the speed, smoothness and general usefulness of the device.

Combine that with the triple-lens camera, and the device could have an appealingly simple workflow for those who want to take photos and images and then edit them on the same device. Editing using the dual-screen set-up also sounds like an easier task than doing the same on a single-screen tablet. However, we’ll have to wait until we test the device to render a final verdict on this.

In terms of storage, buyers can choose a 128, 256 or 512GB version. However, not all of these versions are currently available to pre-order.

The other large notable improvement is the addition of 5G, which makes the handset a little more future-proof and promises better connectivity.

How to pre-order Microsoft Surface Duo 2

Here’s a list of all the retailers and networks where you can pre-order the Surface Duo 2 right now. At time of writing, this is a limited list – with only Microsoft itself offering pre-orders – but we will update it as more retailers and networks complete their listings.

Pre-order Surface Duo 2 direct from Microsoft – from £1349

Or, if you want a tablet that’s perfect for on-the-go working but you can’t wait for Surface Duo 2 pre-orders, then iPad Mini 6 is already available to buy. Prices start at £479 for the new iPad, take a look below.

If you’re interested in the Surface Duo 2 but not quite ready to make a purchase, why not weigh up the competition with our best tablet guide.